Dear Lily & Colleagues Please be advised that after returning to my London-flat after the Xmas-break (staying in the remote hills of Southern England) - I was pleasantly surprised to find the above copy of 'Qi Journal' waiting on the mat for me! Of course, I profoundly appreciate the efforts of Qi Journal in the publication of one of my articles - and offer a bow of thanks! There is discussion on the China Daoist Association website of the formation of what is being called the '世界道教联合会' or the 'World Daoism Federation'. You probably already know of this - but for ease of access I have fed an article about the project to design an emblem through a universal translator - given that the artwork produced by the Staff of Qi Journal is so professionally produced and full of Immortal Vigour! All Best Wishes Adrian
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Original Chinese Language Article by Master Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺) (Translated by Adrian Chan-Wyles PhD) The history of China flows from the distant past – like a long river without a discernible beginning. The family of practices (which comprise the body of Chinese Daoist teachings) have their roots firmly entangled within historical obscurity, but out of this body of knowledge evolved the set of techniques known today as the ‘Essential Mind-Body Cultivation’ (性命双修 - Xing Ming Shuang Xiu). Although these teachings still exist within certain Daoist lineages preserved within Chinese society, the modern way of life tends to ensure that there is less interest in the learning, practice and preservation of this methodology. Life in a modern society is far too quick-paced, erratic, and lacks stability and a firmed rootedness in nature. The human attention has become highly superficial, which, when combined with a poor diet and a lack of adequate or meaningful exercise, leads to a diminishing of psychological and physical health and fitness! Invariably, such a repeating, negative cycle leads to a shortened lifespan with ‘worry’ about the work situation in an uncertain present (and future) - serving as the catalyst for a further spiralling out of control of well-being!
Today, we can discuss the significance of the ‘neidan’ (内丹) - or ‘Field of Inner Energy Centre Self-cultivation' - as defined through the specific techniques of the ‘Essential Mind-Body Cultivation’ methodology, Again, Daoist ‘neidan’ history in China is long, complex and full of twists and turns! This is why such knowledge is considered a brilliant and splendid pearl of Chinese history and culture! This is why ‘Essential Mind-Body Cultivation’ is comprised of ‘Yin-Yang’ (阴阳) theory, the ‘Five Phases’ (五行 - Wu Xing), ‘Medical Science’ (医理 - Yi Li), ‘Divine-Sky Scholarship’ [Astronomy] (天文 - Tian Wen) and many other related sciences and arts. This includes the patterns of ‘Energy Channels’ (经脉 - Jing Mai) and how they flow and run throughout length and breadth of the body – across the surface and deep into the inner tissue-structures (which nourish the inner-organs). One issue with the ideas and practices of the past, is that each Daoist lineage was comprised of one fully qualified Master and suitably qualified Disciple – with no other students or interested parties being allowed to know, understand, practice or teach these methods! Therefore, should a disaster befall the Master or the chosen Disciple – then an entire lineage of Daoist knowledge completely disappeared! Furthermore, as only one chosen Disciple could benefit from these teachings, Chinese society as a whole could not benefit from this expert body of knowledge! Although the expertise of these Daoist methods was built-up and strengthened by these isolatory methods – times have changed, the world has developed and moved on, and therefore the structures of Daoism must reflect these changes. During the Late Qing Dynasty and Early Republic of China Period – there lived Master ‘Liao Kong (了空) [together with Master Liao Ran (了然)]. He was the Tenth Generation, Outside the Temple, Lineaging Inheriting Disciple of the ‘Quanzhen’ (全真) - or ‘Complete Reality’ and ‘Longmen’ (龙门) - or ‘Dragon Gate’ School of Daoist Self-cultivation (passed through the ‘Wu Liu’ [伍柳] lineage). The Patriarch advised his Chief Disciple – Zhao Bichen (赵避尘) - to change this exclusionary tradition associated with the Daoist School, so that ‘everyone’ could be taught the longevity techniques so that society in general can benefit as a result! This is how the teachings associated with the ‘Essential Mind-Body Cultivation’ methods became better-known amongst the general public through the efforts of my great grandfather – Zhao Bichen! Indeed, Zhao Bichen achieved this extraordinary success through the formation of the Qianfeng (千峰) or ‘Thousand Peaks’, ‘Xiantian’ (先天), ‘Prenatal’ (literally ‘Earlier Divine-Sky') - School (派- Pai), or a ‘preserved body of knowledge that flows from the past to present, and on to the future’! The function of the Qianfeng Prenatal School is to preserve, teach and spread the genuine Daoist teachings not only across China – but also across the world! The Qianfeng Prenatal School exists to build robust health amongst the general public and to increase the longevity of the average lifespan! In today's society, people should actually strive to know more about traditional Daoist health preservation culture. Through cultivating (and circulating) the ‘essential nature’ (精 - Jing), the ‘vital force’ (炁 - Qi), a robust mind and body is developed, and longevity is secured! This Daoist teaching strengthen the individual, the family, the community, the nation and the world! Through the Qianfeng Prenatal School, Grand Master Zhao Bichen taught many techniques that encompass both the ‘external’ (外 - Wai) and ‘internal’ (内 - Nei) methods of Daoist self-cultivation! A primary example of this is the ‘Sweating Ox’ (汗牛 - Han Niu) self-cultivation. If a practitioner performs this exercise regularly, those in your forties and fifties will feel ten years younger and be full of energy and masculinity! Master Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺) Beijing (Zhao) Bichen Culture Qianfeng Hermitage Chinese Language Article: 中国古老的养生传承 (360doc13.net) 中国古老的养生传承 在历史长河中,中国的一部道家养生性命双修文化在华夏大地上默默无闻的传承至今。 在如今的社会,道家性命双修养生文化更不被人们所关注,在这快节奏的社会我们大多数人变得积极向上,饮食起居无常,工作压力过重造成身体健康问题。 今天我们来聊聊道家内丹性命双修文化传承和其中的意义,道家内丹文化有着悠久的历史,她是中国历史文化的一颗灿烂明珠,其中内丹性命双修包涵阴阳,五行,医理,天文,人体经脉走向等诸多文化,在古老的传承中大多都以单传为主,所以普通人很难了解其中奥秘。 一直到清末民初时期,由全真龙门派庙外第十代弟子(了空)祖师命其弟子千峰老人(赵避尘)普传大众,才有了面向大众普及道家内丹性命双修神秘玄妙养生功夫。 千峰先天派自成立以来,其宗旨是普传大众,愿人人健康位位可得为宗旨,愿我国人健康长寿为要。 而这一改变打破了历史道家以单传为普传大众的历史先河,让大众了解道家性命双修内丹文化,让爱好者不在迷茫,有了了解学习的方向,千峰老人赵避尘所著性命法决明指,以及其胞兄赵魁一所著三字法决经,以问答方式详细介绍道家性命双修内丹功夫,后人称此书如同大海的标灯,为爱好者指明修炼方向。 在当今社会人们其实更应该了解道家养生文化,为自己的身体健康添加精炁,您的健康就是全家的幸福。 在千峰先天派,千峰老人赵避尘的传承功夫中,有许多强身健体增补精炁的内外功夫,其中外练功夫(汗牛功)如果您经常来炼习,四五十岁者,可感觉年轻十来岁,精炁足满阳刚之气充足。 北京避尘文化,千峰草堂赵明旺 A number of my academic colleagues in Mainland China have discussed with me the necessity for the formation of a ‘new’ type of Daoism. The point of this is to move away from the pointless ‘dead-ends’ of superstitious teachings and empower Daoist practitioners with the most effective and efficient medicalised training programmes available. Without a shadow of a doubt, this redesigning will have to accommodate the rigours of modern medical science just as it should retain the elements of traditional Chinese thinking that was premised upon logic, practice, results and replication of those results. Indeed, there is much existing within Daoist (and TCM) methodology that is both ancient in construction and highly effective in practice! Of course, something of a ground-breaking foundation already exists within the teachings of the Qianfeng School of Beijing where its founder – Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) - was able to integrate Western medical science with tradition Daoist and TCM concepts. This modified the Quanzhen, Longmen and Wu Liu Daoist lineages and created a Daoist methodology that educated Chinese people about Western thinking – and Westerners about Chinese thinkers! What many Westerners do not know is that Zhao Bichen often replaced or enhanced a traditional Chinese Daoist term with its exact Western (biological) designate – for instance, for the ‘Ancestral Cavity’ (祖窍 - Zu Qiao) - Zhao Bichen would add the Chinese translation of the Western anatomical term ‘centre of the forehead’. Within his Daoist manuals (see: ‘Taoist Yoga’ translated by Charles Luk as an example), the Western concepts of the ‘centre of the brain’ is used to correspond to the ‘mud pill’ (泥丸 - Ni Wan) and the ‘solar plexus’ is used to describe the ‘middle dan tian’ ((中丹田 - Zhong Nei Dan), etc. All these terms are in Chinese translation and are presented alongside their traditional Chinese equivalent. When Zhao Bichen set about compiling an integrated glossary of Daoist and Western anatomical terms in the early 20th century, such phrases as ‘centre of the forehead’ was completely alien for all but the most well-travelled and well educated of Chinese people of the time. A point that has to be understood is that most traditional Daoist terms were considered ‘obscure’ even for native Chinese-speakers – as the techniques and methods were closely guarded through the descriptive use of metaphor and allegory. Zhao Bichen sought to ‘align’ formerly complicated Daoist terms with regular (modern) terms so that an understanding between the two cultures could be built, and misunderstanding ‘educated out’ of the process of communication. Zhao Bichen was also following the instructions of his two traditional Daoist Teachers who advised him to abandon the exclusivity usually associated with Daoist instruction, and teach any who asked. To modernise and strengthen China, Zhao Bichen decided to align the wisdom of ancient China with the highly effective thinking that formed the foundation of Western medical understanding. Since 1949, the literacy rates in China have sky-rocketed and many modern Chinese readers are now able to fully understand the Western medical terms employed by Zhao Bichen. This allows the average person in China to work backwards into the traditional Daoist codes and decipher the hidden meaning contained inside! The fruits of this labour are experienced by myself when I translate the Chinese-language blog posts of Master Zhao Ming Wang into English. Not only is my task made easier by the integration of Eastern and Western thinking, but this also gives me a firm theoretical understanding when purely ancient Chinese terms are introduced!
Modern medicine is obviously correct and always developing. Over the last two-hundred years or so, the human understanding of how the human body and mind functions has increased dramatically away from the thinking that dominated the primitive tribal formations of early human civilisation. Having made this point clear, I would also like to clarify that other great cultures have also developed their own particular types of medicines and models of what it means to ‘fit’. In this respect, modern medicine has probably evolved from the Greco-Roman tradition which culminated in the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries CE) in Florence (Italy), the Enlightenment (17th-18th centuries CE) in France and the Industrial Revolution (18th-19th centuries CE) in England. However, far more ancient civilisations – such as Egypt, India and China – also developed their own quite often sophisticated systems of medicine premised, it is true, on as much myth and religious notions as it was upon the sound observation of material processes! In many ways, whilst lack the modern dependency upon materialism, the ancient doctors had to take into account many more cultural and superstitious elements when formulating a guiding medical principle that culminated in the treatment of physical symptoms. Although the Western and Eastern models of medicine have both developed the aloof professional dispenser of medical knowledge – the Eastern model of medicine, particularly that of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), allows for an entire genre of what might be called ‘self-healing’ in the sense that this system of health maintenance is considered ‘preventative’ in nature. In other words, the daily or weekly health regimens an individual puts themselves through, are expected to ‘prevent’ the build-up of negative energy in the mind and body, and therefore remove a foundation forming that allows major diseases to form. Of course, a weakness of this method is that a practitioner can never be fully sure just what his health regimen has ‘prevented’ from forming – as there is no available (physical) evidence that records all the illnesses that have been avoided! This does mean that preventative medicine does not work, because even modern medicine allows for the idea that a healthy lifestyle tends to diminish the chances of major illnesses developing in the mind and body. This is a logical approach, as leading a reckless and irresponsible life has definitely been recorded as shortening life-spans! Furthermore, living in poor or difficult circumstances (through no fault of oneself) can also lead to a diminished life expectancy. As somebody of part-Chinese ethnicity – and who has been brought-up with a traditional Hakka Chinese culture – TCM is far more than a doctor’s office and his medical cabinets! It is far more than acupuncture and seated massage, etc. Firstly, the power of TCM (within a traditional Chinese cultural context) stems from the (ancient) family Clan Name. Our name is pronounced ‘Chan’ in the Cantonese dialect, Chin in the Hakka dialect and Chen in the Putonghua language. The old ideogram for ‘Chan’ is ‘陳’ and this is one of the original ‘One Hundred Surnames’ of China. The centre of village life is the ‘Name Temple’ within which the remains of the ancestors reside in specially built ceramic jars. This is usually next to a temple to Buddha, Guan Yin and/or various Daoist or other spiritual beings. The Daoist God of our family is ‘Wong Tai Sin’ - the God of Medicine and Healing. When we bring flowers to the temple and light incense sticks – we are paying our respects to our Clan Ancestors, the Buddha, Confucius, Laozi, Guan Yin, Wong Tai Sin and a number of village gods (that live in the ground, the water, the sky and trees, etc). Practicing our martial forms and strengthening inner and outer exercises in this temple is also considered ‘an act of worship’. The Clan Ancestors pass on to us the (inner) Ancestral Qi when we are conceived in the womb – and the (outer) Ancestral Qi through the traditions associated with our Hakka Chinese village – which includes reading, writing, hunting, fishing, farming, medicine and martial arts practice. According to the old ways – these traditions belong to our lineage (and village) only – and to reveal them to disrespectful outsider has the effect of taking away the inherent and accumulated cultural and spiritual power! As someone who lives in the West and respect science – I can say that TCM exists in parallel to modern medicine - sometimes fulfilling similar tasks – sometimes fulfilling quite different tasks. Inner fitness, for instance, has no equivalent in Western medicine. Inner fitness is the ability to allow the inner qi-energy to flow smoothly and feely through the inner body channels regardless of the health of the body. For instance, if a practitioner has an injured knee and has problems weight-bearing and moving properly during conventional exercise – through the directing of the qi-energy through the area in a non-confrontational manner – the joints works ‘freely’ and without pain despite the injury still being present. Indeed, subjecting an injured part of the body to this ‘medical’ process (usually through an appropriate qigong sequence), the injury itself begins to speed-up its healing capabilities. Although this is sometimes described as being ‘all in the mind’ I can attest that there is a definite physical component to this process. Alternatively, it is ‘not all in the knee’ - but an integration of appropriate psychological processes and physical manipulation. As an injury is an injury – no amount of positive thinking will help a practitioner ‘ignore’ a knee’ injury as the body and mind simply does not work in that way. I suspect that certain aspects of ancient medical systems are very advanced despite the superstitious and cultural nature of its support-structure, and that the Western medical system, as advanced as it is, will one day ‘discover’ these processes for itself!
Author: 大爱双成 (Da Ai Shuang Cheng) - ‘Great Love – Double Success’ -- 2019-07-08 10:31
(Translated By Adrian Chan-Wyles PhD) Sweating is a natural phenomenon of the human body. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that abnormal sweating occurs when the body's yin and yang are out of balance and the viscera is dysfunctional. We have made a brief summary of abnormal sweating, let's take a look. Excessive sweating during the day no matter in winter or summer, in the case of inactivity or light activity during the day, sweating often occurs, accompanied by physical weakness, low voice, poor appetite, and cold susceptibility. Chinese medicine believes that this is a manifestation of qi deficiency. You can choose Chinese yam, soy milk, beef and mutton, etc., or stewed chicken with Codonopsis or Astragalus to replenish the body and relieve qi deficiency. You can also enhance your physical fitness through soothing exercises, such as Taijiquan or Qigong and so on. Sweating at night Sweating when you fall asleep and stop sweating when you wake up are called "night sweats" in Chinese medicine. These people often have symptoms such as hot hands and feet, upset, redness and fever on the face, and dry mouth and throat. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that it is a manifestation of yin deficiency. They can choose lily and other yin-nourishing products in their diet, and eat less lamb, onion, ginger, and garlic. Other hot foods can also be drunk in water such as Adenophora, Ophiopogon, Schisandra or American ginseng. Excessive sweating. If you experience hyperhidrosis on the head and face after overeating, and feel full of upper abdomen, thirsty, and no desire to eat, most of which are due to the over-accumulation food, you can reduce the amount of food consumed and eat a light diet to relieve it. You can also take some digestive medicine; if accompanied by heavy limbs and weakness, bloating and discomfort, fever in the body, thick and yellow greasy tongue coating are manifestations of dampness and heat in the spleen and stomach, and a light diet is recommended. It is normal for a child to have slight sweating during sleep; however, if it is accompanied by sleeplessness, restlessness, frights, and thinning hair, it should be diagnosed and treated in time. In addition, the elderly and women who are weak after childbirth may also have excessive sweating on their heads, which are mostly qi deficiency. Sweaty hands, feet, and head If sweating of the hands, feet and head are accompanied by heat in the hands, feet, and oropharynx, it is mostly due to yin deficiency and over-heat; if sweating of the hands, feet, and head is accompanied by abdominal bloating and pain, stool failure, mostly due to faecal accumulation in the intestines, you can take a laxative If sweating of the hands, feet and head are accompanied by dry mouth, swollen and painful gums, etc., it is mostly gastric fever, so you can take traditional Chinese medicine for clearing stomach heat. Sweaty head and chest are more common in some scholarly workers. It is often accompanied by psychological fatigue, loss of appetite, poor sleep, bad dreams and other manifestations. It belongs to excessive thinking and a heart and spleen deficiency. Appropriate exercises such as jogging, Taijiquan and Qigong, etc. can relieve stress and regulate body and mind. If the smell of sweat is fishy, it is mostly related to heat syndrome or damp-heat syndrome. The diet should be light, and you can drink chrysanthemums, green grass, etc. in water. Summer is sultry and sweating a lot, and there is thirst, dizziness, chest tightness, nausea, palpitation, weakness of limbs, tinnitus, elevated body temperature, etc. It is generally a sign of heatstroke. Move to a cool and ventilated place in time and add some light salt water for a short time. The inside can return to normal. The difference between night sweats and spontaneous sweating is that spontaneous sweating refers to sweating during the day, or it can be considered as sweating profusely with a little movement; this phenomenon is usually caused by deficiency of qi. Due to the decline of the patient's concentration function, the sweat cannot be focused, resulting in abnormal Sweat. Night sweats refer to sweating during sleep at night, and the sweat stops on its own when waking up during the day. It is usually caused by yin deficiency. Nursing 1. Keep the air fresh in your home, avoid smoke and dust stimulation, and pay attention to temperature and humidity. 2. Wipe your body and change clothes in time to avoid being overly thick, and to prevent collapse due to excessive sweating. 3. Patients should take high-protein foods, such as meat, eggs, milk, etc., to supplement their nutrition. 4. A lot of night sweats should drink plenty of water to add enough water. Source: Popularization of Medicinal Materials Original Chinese Language Text: https://kuaibao.qq.com/s/20190708AZPFGY00?refer=spider 身体盗汗,是哪里出问题了? 大爱双成 2019-07-08 10:31 出汗是人体的一种自然现象,中医认为,当人体阴阳失衡、脏腑功能失调时则会出现异常出汗。对于异常出汗我们做了个简单总结,一起来看看吧。 白天出汗过多 无论冬夏,在白天不活动或轻微活动的情况下,常汗出不止,常伴有身体虚弱、说话声音较低、食欲差、易感冒等特点。中医认为这是气虚的表现,饮食上可选择山药、豆浆、牛羊肉等,也可用党参或黄芪炖鸡,以补益机体,缓解气虚。还可通过动作舒缓的运动增强体质,如太极拳、八段锦等。 晚上出汗 睡着出汗,醒来汗止,中医称为“盗汗”。这些人常有手脚心热、心烦、面部发红发热、口咽干燥等症状,中医认为是阴虚表现,饮食上可选择百合、雪梨等滋阴之品,少吃羊肉、洋葱、姜、蒜等热性食物,也可用沙参、麦冬、五味子或西洋参等泡水饮用。 头汗过多 若暴饮暴食后出现头面部多汗,同时觉得上腹胀满、口渴、不欲饮食,多为积食,可通过减少进食量、吃清淡饮食缓解,也可吃点消化药;若伴随肢体沉重无力,胃胀不适,身体发热,舌苔厚而黄腻,是脾胃有湿热的表现,饮食宜清淡。孩子睡眠时出现轻微头汗属正常现象;但若伴有睡眠不实、烦躁不安、易惊吓、头发稀少等表现,要及时诊治。此外,老人和产后身体虚弱的女性,也会有头汗过多的情况,多属于气虚。 手足心多汗 如果手足心多汗伴有手脚心热、口咽干燥等,多属于阴虚有热;若手足心多汗伴随腹部胀满疼痛,大便不通,多属于肠道内有积粪,可服用通便药;若手足心多汗伴随口干、牙龈肿痛等,多属胃热,可服清胃热的中药。 心窝、胸口多汗 多见于一些脑力工作者,常伴有精神倦怠、食欲不振、睡眠差、多梦等表现,属于思虑过度而见心脾虚。可通过适当的运动如慢跑、太极拳、八段锦等缓解压力,调节身心。 出汗的气味 如果汗味腥臭,多与热证或湿热证有关,饮食宜清淡,可用菊花、茵陈等泡水饮。夏季闷热大量出汗,并出现口渴、头昏、胸闷、恶心、心慌、四肢无力、耳鸣、体温升高等,一般是中暑先兆,应及时转移到阴凉通风的地方,补充一些淡盐水,短时间内可恢复正常。 盗汗和自汗的区别 自汗指的是白天出汗,或者也可以认为是稍微一动就会大汗淋漓;这种现象通常是由于气虚所导致,由于患者的固摄功能下降,无法固摄住汗液,导致了异常的汗出。盗汗则是指夜间睡觉时出汗,白天醒来时汗液自行止住,通常是由于阴虚所造成的。 护理 1.居处保持空气新鲜,避免烟尘刺激,注意温湿度。 2.及时擦身,更换衣服,避免衣被过厚,同时防止因出汗过多而引起虚脱。 3.患者应进高蛋白食物,如肉类、蛋类、牛奶等,以补充营养。 4.大量盗汗应多喝水,以补充足够的水分。 来源:药材科普 Richard Hunn lived in Kyoto, Japan from 1992-2006. Indeed, he ended his days living in an old samurai house with his loving wife Taeko. They practiced 'Kyudo' (弓道), or the 'Way of the Bow' together in a local 'Dojo', and Richard Hunn said to me that he knew he was getting ill when during one training session he could no longer 'draw' the bow - an activity he could usually perform with an effortless ease. Richard Hunn was a strongly built English gentleman and with his mind being expansive and free - he could 'release' the arrow with no subject-object discrimination. When he could not 'draw' the bow, he gently returned the bow to the neutral position and took the arrow out - placing everything neatly on the ground he was kneeling on and entered the state of meditation. The old master (who had been watching) came quietly over and whispered that Richard should immediately visit a doctor. The doctor confirmed advanced pancreatic cancer and said Richard had 6 months to live. This was in 2004. Through a combination of Western medicine, TCM and qigong, Richard Hunn lived for another two years before passing away sat-up in a Kyoto hospital bed.
In 2003, whilst visiting my home in Sutton - South London - Richard Hunn (between long periods of seated meditation and in-depth discussions) handed me a collection of photographs, with each in varying stages of decay. He asked if I could 'reconstitute' the pictures and breathe new life into them. I handed these artefacts to my mother - Diane Wyles - who is an expert in this matter, and she repaired each and every one. Above, is the picture of Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) that Richard Hunn found in a Japanese language magazine. The script accompanying this image includes both Japanese and Chinese ideograms. Diane Wyles was able to rescue the image and make it presentable as the original was in a very bad state and falling apart. Unfortunately, as Richard's illness became all-consuming, our many projects fell by the wayside and I never got to see the original magazine. Although Richard Hunn left me a box of his documents kept at his home in Kyoto, due to a problem with access and one or two other issues, I have not yet received this inheritance 13 years after his passing. Still, I do possess the above picture which proves that at least some Japanese people were interested in Chinese Daoist practice. Richard explained to me that the magazine spoke with a great respect of Zhao Bichen's life and accomplishments. In modern China there a Socialized health system (similar the NHS in the UK) which provides the best healthcare free at the point of use (paid for through taxation). China differs, however, in that there are two types of medicine available; a) Western medicine, and b) Traditional Chinese Medicine. Both are used interchangeably, with patients choosing which treatment method best suits their illness or injury recovery. Therefore, hospitals in China fall into three categories; 1) Western medicine, 2) TCM and 3) Integrated treatment. Hospitals in China are administered either by the Chinese State, or the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Rich individuals can choose to contribute (as a ‘thank you’) to the Chinese State and ‘pay’ for their treatment, but as the standard of medical care is so high in China – the service they receive is exactly the same as that received by the poorest villager. Master Zhao Ming Wang has written in his blog how he has often visited TCM hospitals in China, and helped treat people suffering with cancer when Western medicine has not worked. His experience suggests that the Daoist methods he employs are more effective in certain circumstances than the equivalent Western treatments. This does not mean that Western medicine is ineffective – as just as many Chinese patients report the opposite finding – namely that TCM did not work (or only partly worked), whilst Western medicine cured them fully or to a greater extent. Of course, in some incidences it could be that a combination of the two methods is the best approach.
My advice to you is that if you are ill, visit your General Practitioner (GP) or Medical Doctor (MD) and never leave ailments or injuries to drag on and get worse without treatment. I am aware that in other parts of the world (unlike the UK, Northern Europe, Japan, Cuba, North Korea or China, etc.), many people do not have access to regular or affordable healthcare. This is an unfortunate situation and issue of broader political development and democratic processes. In other words, things can be changed overtime through political effort, but what should a person do ‘here and now’? The internet is a great resource for basic self-healing and further research into herbal remedies and other treatments. There is a plethora of online videos, for instance, offering ‘free’ physiotherapy advice. The local Pharmacy is a good place to gain basic advice on treatment and pain relief, etc. As intelligent human beings, we must use our intellects to overcome our material hardships. Herbology is a good start, as herbology is the basis of the pharmaceutical industry, but can often offer alternative methods of treatment and rehabilitation. Daoist methodology is its greater part, is a system of preventative medicine. This means that we train our bodies and minds in methods that prevent illness through a continuous purification process. The problem with this approach is that we remain ‘unaware’ of how may illnesses we could have contracted, but which we avoided through this wise behaviour. Modern, Western medicine, however, tends to treat definite symptoms as and when they appear. TCM does this as well, but there is a greater tendency toward preventative than there is in Western hospitals (particularly with regard to the use of acupuncture which attempts to ‘undermine’ the illness whilst treating it as an ‘imbalance’ which needs to be rectified). TCM still uses freshly gathered herbs and plants which are viewable in the medicine shop, and which are prepared in front of the patient once a prescription is written. TCM treatment is a much organic experience than its more industrialized Western counterpart. Master Zhao Ming Wang, whilst meeting disciples in his home in Beijing, assesses their wellbeing through their posture, voice, skin-tone, eye colour and behaviour, and usually starts Qianfeng Daoist training by him personally ‘unblocking’ the qi energy channels and putting the disciple on the right psychological and physical path. There are levels, however, below and beyond the physical application of recuperative Daoist medicine, which involve the generation of universal love and compassion for the entirety of creation! Master Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) exercised this when he abolished the old Daoist tradition of one master to one disciple per generation, and threw open the gates for all to train! Daoist methodology is the practice of exact physical methods of discipline which are applied to the mind and body. Although some people have associated superstition and myth with Daoist methodology, Qianfeng Daoism rejects this approach and only focuses upon the physical Daoist techniques that have been proven to work, albeit applied with a sense of love and respect. Belief in miracles or of divine beings is not used to ‘cure’ the mind or body (although this approach does exist in other Daoist lineages, which is fine). We do not rely upon ‘faith’ just as a Western doctor does not rely upon faith. This does not mean that no one should have faith – as this is a matter of personal choice – but it is not within the methodology of the Qianfeng School. It was not part of the Qianfeng School during the latter Qing Dynasty, the Nationalist period, or the ‘New China’ era. It is not a new approach, but a matter of ancient Chinese science which understood thousands of years ago, that effective methods must be premised upon observation of material (physical) process and repeatability of results. This explains in-part why Zhao Bichen was interested in Western biology and science, and incorporated some of this terminology into his numerous Daoist instructional manuals. ACW - 釋大道 (2.9.2019) UK Qianfeng Sub-Branch of the 千峰先天派 (Qian Feng Xian Tian Pai) - Thousand Peaks Prenatal School (Beijing) I have been debating for years with many intellectuals from the Mainland of China about the concept for a ‘New Daoism’ (新道). This is part of the restructuring of Chinese society and culture and is premised upon the teachings of ancient Daoist thought and practice that are deemed ‘logical’ and ‘reasonable’, and which are not premised upon superstition or ignorance. In a very real sense, the developmental aspect of Chinese Daoism was built over thousands of years and developed in a dialectical manner that mirrors modern, Western science. This may be referred to as ‘Western Medicine with Chinese Characteristics’, or, looked at another way ‘Ancient Chinese Medicine with Western Characteristics’. Chinese people tend to view it in the latter way, but Westerners can probably better understand it through the former concept. The issue here, is the recognition that humanity’s ingenuity manifests at different times and in different ways, across the world and is not limited to one ethnic group, (be it Western, Chinese or any other).
This process started in China decades before the ‘Nationalist’ Revolution of 1911, whilst China was still under the dominance of the then ‘foreign’ Manchu (‘Jurchen’) Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The Qing were tribal people from what is today northeast China, who are not genetically or culturally ‘Han’, and who suppressed the ingenuity of Chinese thought and kept it within certain tight bounds of creativity. This was to protect the Qing ethnic dominance from the very well-known ingenuity of Chinese intellectuals, engineers, doctors and military leaders, etc. From around 1644 onwards, Chinese culture became frozen in time and this is why China fell behind the West, primarily England, Spain, Portugal and other Western European countries. As Daoism was ‘elitist’ at these times, it was not uncommon for one teacher to take-on just ‘one’ disciple per generation, and for Daoist knowledge and culture to be locked away deep in the inaccessible countryside, or above in the rarefied peaks of the great mountain ranges. If the master died due to old age, calamity or disaster, or if the disciple ‘disappeared’ for whatever reason, the Daoist lineage in question would invariably come to an end with hardly anyone ever knowing it existed, but the core of these teachings were highly ‘scientific’ in nature and preserved through a strict Confucian notion of generation to generation transmission which – when it worked properly – ensured high-standards, but achieved this by preventing wide dissemination. This is what might be called ‘Old Daoism’ (古道 - Gu Dao) and it performed its allotted tasks quite well for the times within which it operated. In modern times, however, with widespread literacy, healthcare, education and reasonably good work conditions, this ‘secrecy’ is now out of date and needs rethinking. In the last 400 years or so, China has changed radically and beyond any reasonable expectations. The method of ‘Old Daoism’ transmission worked very well when people lived in abject poverty, were illiterate, had short lives or fell victim to natural disasters or man-made calamities and warfare. With the development of modernity in China, a process that has developed over the last 400 years, the cultural climate is now entirely different (as it is throughout the world). Today, everyone and anyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, creed or geographical origination can directly benefit from the Daoist teachings that have been preserved in the past by many individuals who often suffered terribly for their dedication. This is why we must remember with respect the days of the ‘Old Daoism’ and never consider our current days of ‘New Daoism’ as being ‘superior’. In many ways, we as modern humans often lack the strength of character of those Old Daoists who sat in the snow-capped hills with no regular food supply, warm clothing medicines or central-heating. Within the ‘New Daoism’ we must strive to emulate those old masters and disciples of the past. ‘New Daoism’ offers ‘open’ instruction to ALL human-beings (and animals) without exception. In the UK we follow a strict adherence to the spiritual rule of no money changing hands (due to instructions from the Great Buddhist Master Xu Yun 1840-1959 – and Great Daoist Master Zhao Bichen 1860-1942) - and offer everything we know in written format for all to see and use. As with ‘Old Daoism’ - teachers must be worthy and students must be virtuous. As Confucius taught – when he lefts a single corner of a four-cornered cloth – he expects the disciple to lift-up and bring him the other three comers. This dedication need not be despotic, but it should be good-natured and full of vigour and virtue. ACW - 釋大道 (1.9.2019) UK Qianfeng Sub-Branch of the 千峰先天派 (Qian Feng Xian Tian Pai) - Thousand Peaks Prenatal School (Beijing) |
AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles (內丹 - Shi Da Dao) - Qianfeng Lineage: Zhao Bichen (1860-1942), Charles Luk (1898-1978) and Richard Hunn (1949-2006). Acknowledges Master Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺) of Beijing as the ONLY Lineage Head of the Zhao Family Lineage of Qianfeng Daoism in China and the world. Archives
February 2024
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